The Argument
by Whiskers Mooncat
Summary: After an argument with his mother, Gumball runs out on his own and he couldn't have picked a worse time because Elmore is about to face a heavy storm. Worried for his safety, Nicole rushes outside searching for her son only to end up running into major trouble. Can Gumball and the family come to her rescue in time?
1. Chapter 1

**The Argument**

Elmore was about to face a heavy storm.

What began around the coastlines as strong winds accompanied by rainfall had only gotten worse, escalating into a tropical storm. By the time it would descend upon the city, it would become a full blown hurricane. The likes of which the local residents had never seen before.

Everyone was being warned to stay indoors. But at the Watterson household, indoors was exactly where another big storm had already swept through.

Nicole Watterson came running down the stairs in a frantic state to find the rest of the family assembled in the living room - all except for one.

"We can't find him anywhere Mrs Mom!" exclaimed Darwin, distraught.

"He wasn't hiding in the shed," added Richard, wringing the rainwater out of his ears.

"His backpack is missing, so he must've snuck out…" supposed Anais.

"Out there?" said Darwin. "In this weather?"

"All because I yelled at him…" muttered Nicole.

A void of silence filled the air, as the family's fears were all but confirmed.

Gumball had ran out on his own and he could not have picked a worse time to do it. With every passing second, the weather outside only grew more dangerous...

All eyes were on Nicole, waiting for her to assume authority and take control of the situation as she would normally do. But a quiet look of uncertainty was all she had to offer.

Everyone remained uneasy, uncomfortable and unsure of what their next move should be. A sudden clap of thunder broke the silence and an immediate decision was made. Swiftly snatching her raincoat from the rack, Nicole got to work slipping it on as she spoke.

"I'm going out there to go look for him," she announced, marching towards the front door. "Richard, watch over the kids."

It is said that there is a first time for everything. For once, Richard refused to obey his wife's demand without question.

"But honey..." began Richard. "You can't seriously go out on your-"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Nicole cut him off. "I know it's dangerous, that's why you three need to stay here."

"But we wanna look for Gumball too, Mrs Mom!" protested Darwin. "Let us come with you."

With a weary sigh, Nicole stood on one knee so she could be at eye level with her other son, gently holding his head in her hands as she spoke.

"I know you're worried about your brother, Darwin," explained Nicole. "But you need to stay here, in case he calls or comes back home on his own. And I'll have an easier time searching out there knowing that the rest of you are safe."

Darwin looked at Anais for support but his little sister could only shake her head in defeat.

"I guess you're right…" Darwin conceded.

Anais let out a heavy sigh before speaking. "Just… be careful out there, okay Mom?"

Richard walked over and protectively stood behind the children as Nicole prepared to head outside. There was no stopping a determined mother in search of her child. Richard knew that very well. All he could do to show his support was say:

"Best of luck, Nicole..."

"Thanks Richard. I'm taking my cell phone, so call me if anything comes up and I'll do the same."

Nicole hastily shut the door behind her. A few moments later, the green family minivan sped off into the distance, its destination unclear but the goal certain.

...

The hurricane had finally arrived.

The wind didn't howl as much as it screamed and rain didn't fall so much as it poured. Trees strained in place wherever they weren't uprooted whole or snapped like twigs. Leaves whipped haphazardly through the air like confetti.

Lightning pierced through the skies accompanied by loud claps of thunder.

Simply put, with the weather in such a chaotic state, outdoors was the last place anyone would want to be right now.

Whether it was dumb luck or a happy coincidence, Gumball Watterson was glad that he had been able to escape the worst of it.

Tucked away safely at the Fitzgerald residence, Gumball was thankful that Penny and her family had offered him shelter. Even her father Patrick, who was usually less than keen on Gumball's company, could not possibly turn him away at a time like this.

Sat upstairs in her bedroom, Gumball and Penny appeared to playing a rather popular kart racing video game. But in actuality... they were playing a cheap imitation of one.

 _Maria Kart Racing_ might only be one letter away from a lawsuit, but it was also pretty fun for what it was.

"Aha, looks like I'm in the lead now!" announced Penny. "You'll never catch me!"

"You're right," grinned Gumball. "But I won't need to, 'cause I've got this!"

"Huh?" gasped Penny. "What does that do?"

Gumball answered her question by activating his secret weapon, a spiky turquoise shell that only targeted the player in first place. Needless to say, Gumball successfully managed to secure victory by turning the tables at the last second.

"Oh come on…" said Penny, crossing her arms. "I know this game is a rip-off but did they have to copy _everything_?"

Gumball merely shrugged.

"Eh, the creators probably looked at the word 'copyright' and thought it meant _all right to copy_."

As Penny rolled her eyes at his little joke, her mother Judith entered the room with two cups of warm tea and a plate of oddly shaped cookies.

"Hi kids, I thought you might like something to keep you nice and warm in this weather."

"Wow, thanks Mom," said Penny, thanking her with a little hug.

"Yeah, thanks Mrs Fitzgerald…" added Gumball bashfully. "They look really nice…"

Much to his surprise Judith gave him a little hug too, giving him a mild shock.

"Aw, you're welcome," she laughed. "Well, you kids have fun now. Call if you need anything."

"Will do Mom," replied Penny.

Penny helped herself to a cookie and handed one to Gumball.

As they ate, Penny was quite surprised to see Gumball's expression abruptly change, now looking rather forlorn. He absentmindedly nibbled on his snack, gazing outside the window as Penny watched him with concern.

"Gumball?" began Penny. "Is something the matter?"

Gumball said nothing at first, pausing to swallow his mouthful. The cookies really _were_ nice but he just couldn't bring himself to enjoy them. With a heavy sigh, Gumball spoke again.

"Thanks for letting me stay here a while, Penny…"

"That's okay, Gumball," she replied. "I wasn't going to leave you out there in this weather. It's way too dangerous, especially on your own."

"Yeah…" he agreed, dropping his gaze to the floor.

"What's wrong, Gumball?" inquired Penny, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's not like you to be so melancholic."

There was another pause as Gumball processed her words.

"...Does that mean I'm acting like a melon?"

Penny just burst into a fit of giggles at his silly remark and despite himself, Gumball weakly joined in. Pulling herself together, Penny wiped a tear from eye before speaking again.

"No no," she shook her head. "It means, _why so glum, chum_?"

Was he really that obvious?

Gumball hated himself for having such a poor facade. He didn't want to bore Penny with his personal problems. But since she asked him, he decided he might as well explain himself. Gumball took a long sip of his tea before speaking.

"Well, it's my Mom…"

"Go on," urged Penny.

"...I guess I should tell you the whole story…"

...

Although Elmore Junior High was currently enjoying a vacation period, the building was still being used for extra-curricular activities. Such an example would be the weekly karate class, spearheaded by none other than Yuki Yoshida.

Having dedicated most of her life to martial arts, Yuki had decided to make use of her knowledge and expertise by teaching others. She definitely needed a new hobby now that 'get revenge against her former protege' was off the table.

Given today's weather conditions, none of Yuki's students had shown up to class, much to her disappointment. Nonetheless, Yuki decided to make the best of it by doing some personal training exercises. Being a humanoid cloud, stormy weather only served to strengthen her inner fighting spirit.

As Yuki practised alone in the gymnasium, the double doors of the entrance were suddenly thrown open. Wonderful, one of her students must've decided to brave the weather and attend class.

" _Dare desu ka_?" asked Yuki, in her native tongue.

She got her answer as they stepped into view and said "Yuki? What're you doing here?"

"Is that you Nicole-san?" inquired Yuki. " _Hai_ , it _is_ you!"

Before Nicole could say anything more, Yuki had already walked over and pulled her into a friendly hug. With a little hesitation, Nicole returned her embrace.

" _O hisashiburi desu ne?"_ said Yuki. "Or should I say, 'long time no see'?"

"It's good to see too Yuki," replied Nicole, patting her on the back. "But I'm afraid I can't stay for long."

"Why the hurry Nicole-san? I thought perhaps you came to join my class. I could use a good sparring partner."

Nicole lowered her head in shame. It finally dawned upon Yuki, that something urgent was preoccupying her friend's mind.

"It's my son, Gumball..." explained Nicole. "I came here looking for him. We had a little argument and well, he ran out on his own. I thought he might have come here…"

"Oh, I see…" said Yuki, adopting a serious tone.

"I'm sorry Yuki, I have to keep looking. It's dangerous outside and oh…" Nicole shook her head to regain her composure. "I just have to make sure he's okay!"

"Don't worry Nicole-san," assured Yuki. "If your son is anything like you are, I'm sure he will be fine."

"Y-You really think so?" said Nicole, with a glimmer of hope.

"Of course," Yuki assured her. "If I recall, you once told me that your little boy is quite, how you say…" Yuki twirled her fingers as she thought of the right word. " ... _resourceful_ , no?"

"It's true…" sighed Nicole with faint pride.

"Then I am certain he will be somewhere safe. In fact, why don't I help you look for him?"

"Oh um, that's not necessary, I mean, I wouldn't want to drag you along-"

"Don't be so stubborn Nicole-san, it's dangerous to be out there alone. Besides, my class isn't showing so I have nothing better to do right now. Let's get going, _hayaku mashou_!"

Before Nicole could protest any further, Yuki was already making her way to the exit. Though Nicole felt uncomfortable roping her friend into her personal matters, at the same time, having a reliable and familiar presence about her, did help to steady her nerves.

"Thanks Yuki, I parked my car just outside."

...

Accompanied by the faint pitter patter of the rain outside, Gumball explained to Penny the events that had brought him to her. Penny patiently sat next to him, with her arms wrapped around her knees, as she slowly took on board everything the little blue cat had to say.

"...So after I got sent to my room, I snuck out the window and just ran away. At first I didn't even know where I was going. I just followed my heart and well… it brought me here."

"Oh…" replied Penny, distantly. "Well I'm sorry to hear that happened, Gumball. But when they notice you're missing, your family will be worried sick about you."

"Pfft, yeah right," scoffed Gumball, crossing his arms. "They probably won't even notice I'm gone…"

Penny shot him a look of disapproval and Gumball was quick to soften up.

"Alright," he conceded. "So it was a stupid thing to do. There I admit it. But I just needed some space… To just go somewhere and forget about my problems. Even if only for a little while…"

"I know how you must feel, Gumball," said Penny, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But you can't run away from your problems forever. Eventually, you'll have to go back home and face the music."

"Is it open mic night already?"

"Gumball, this is serious!" said Penny, with her hands on her hips.

"So am I," he insisted. "Since I'll probably get grounded forever, I might as well serenade you one last time."

Penny rolled her eyes, half annoyed and yet half amused. Reaching into her pocket or rather _hammerspace_ , Penny retrieved her cell phone and held it before Gumball.

"Here, you need to call your family and let them know you're okay."

"I'm scared," he pouted in a petulant tone.

" _Come on_ ," Penny nudged him. "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"You don't know my mom. She's pretty scary when she's angry…" said Gumball, lowering his gaze, as if the weight of his grief was becoming too much for him. "She really hurt my feelings, you know..." he added quietly.

There was a silence as Penny stopped to think. Taking Gumball by the arms, she faced him and finally spoke.

"Listen Gumball, I might not know your mom as well as you, but I do know one thing. No matter angry she was with you, right now, she'd want to know that your safe and sound more than anything."

"How can you be so sure?" inquired Gumball.

"She's a mom," she assured him. "And moms are like that. They might get angry sometimes, some more than others, but they never stop caring. My mom and I argue sometimes too, you know."

"Really?" said Gumball, with genuine disbelief. "But you two seem to get along so well…"

"Every family has its ups and downs," shrugged Penny. "I know you're upset with her, but she's still your mom. So she made a mistake… You can't forget about all the nice things she's done for you too. Sometimes we have to do the right thing even if it's not easy…"

Gumball laughed dryly as he took her words on board.

"It's funny," he admitted. "Now you sound just like my mom-I mean uh, in a _good_ way of course!"

Penny merely raised an eyebrow with a smug grin. Gumball sighed in defeat.

"I guess you're right… We can't stay mad at each other forever. I'm gonna call home."

"Whoo, that's the spirit, go Gumball!" said Penny, dipping into her cheerleading persona. "Let me just dial… huh, that's strange… uh oh..."

Penny's expression noticeably darkened.

"What's wrong, Penny?"

"It looks like the cell service has gone down…"

…

Contrary to what one might assume, thunder and lightning are not usually common during a hurricane. However, there can always be exceptions and sometimes unhappy coincidences.

Amongst the ceaseless downpour of rain, a bolt of lightning had struck the cell tower on the outskirts of Elmore, frying the circuits and taking down the cell service with it. Given the stormy weather, fixing the problem would take even longer than usual according to the repair team.

Having learned the bad news, Nicole exited the TDM Gas Station, returned to her car and sat back down.

"Any luck, Nicole-san?" Yuki inquired hopefully.

"It's no use," she shook her head. "It'll take at least half an hour before the phone lines are operational again."

"Oh, _wakarimasu-_ I understand," said Yuki. "Hmm, what should we do now?"

"We keep searching," replied Nicole, without a moment's hesitation. "I won't just sit around and wait. I won't stop looking 'til I find my little boy!"

Nicole jammed her key in the ignition and drove off again into the highway, speeding through the pouring rain.

"Okay, where shall we look next?" asked Yuki.

"I'm not sure, Yuki…" confessed Nicole. "I've tried the usual places. Any ideas?"

"Hmm, how about the shopping mall? Perhaps your son went there to seek shelter from the storm…"

Nicole pondered Yuki's suggestion for a moment before briskly nodding in agreement.

"Yes, that's a good idea," she said, quickly swerving the car into making a sharp turn.

" _Nan desu ka!?_ " exclaimed Yuki. "W-What are you doing?"

Eyes locked on the road, Nicole explained as she continued to drive.

"This storm is only going to get worse, so we need to get there as quickly as possible. I know a shortcut that'll get us there in ten minutes instead of twenty. Buckle up!"

Despite her initial concern, Yuki merely shrugged and made herself comfortable in the passenger seat as the minivan swerved this way and that.

"Whatever you say, Nicole-san…" said Yuki.

…

At the Watterson household, Darwin and Anais sat close to each other on the couch, watching the TV with disinterest as their father prepared dinner. Unlike any other day, Richard's big appetite was nowhere to be found.

Nonetheless, the family still had to eat and a simple recipe like vegetable soup was just the thing they needed to stay warm on such a cold day. Every so often, Darwin glanced at the living room clock and then at the window and then back to the TV.

"Oh, I can't take this!" Darwin suddenly exclaimed, kicking his legs about. "We can't just sit here, we gotta do something!"

"Darwin, calm down," said Anais. "We're all worried about Gumball but you heard what Mom said. We have to stay here and be patient. Especially considering our cell phones aren't working."

"There has to be more we can do besides waiting," complained Darwin. "I mean, what're the chances that Gumball is just gonna show up at the door, any second now?"

"I dunno, dude. But it's more likely than you'd think."

"Not now Gumball," Darwin dismissed him, waving his fin. "I'm trying to prove a point-wait, what-the-what!?

"Dude, that's _my_ line…" said a rain soaked Gumball, shutting the front door behind him.

"Gumball!" his siblings shouted in unison.

They ran up to give him a hug, only to abruptly stop when it dawned upon them exactly how wet he was.

Nodding to each other, Darwin pulled out a pair of towels while Anais revealed a hairdryer. Swiftly drying up their elder brother until his fur stood on end, they finally gave him the hug they had planned to give.

"Thanks guys."

Leaving the kitchen, Richard sternly walked to confront his son and his siblings stepped aside. Gumball let his hang head low in shame, awaiting whatever punishment that was in store for him. Between his parents, his father was definitely the more lenient of the two but Gumball knew he had probably gone too far this time.

A moment went by yet neither said a word.

From Gumball's perspective, the suspense felt even worse than the inevitable scolding. The tension was so thick it would take more than a knife to cut it. He swallowed hard and finally broke the ice.

"I'm sorry I ran out like that," he began. "Go ahead, I'm ready for punishing..."

"Look at me son," Richard instructed.

At a snail pace, Gumball lifted his head to make eye contact with his father. Surprisingly, Richard was not nearly as upset as Gumball thought he would be. He looked very disappointed in him but there was no fury.

"A-Aren't you going to y-yell at me?" said Gumball.

Richard merely let out an all too heavy sigh. Getting angry and reprimanding his kids was never something he was very good at. Thus, he simply kneeled down and placed a firm hand on Gumball's shoulder.

"Son, I'm just glad you're back safe and sound…" Richard said with relief before looking stern again. "But you're still in trouble. And besides, when your mother gets back, she'll do enough yelling for the both of us. Now go wait on the couch like a good boy."

"Yes, Dad..." agreed Gumball.

...

The thing about unhappy coincidences, is that sometimes, they lead to even unhappier ones. Sometimes, a single drop of rain is all that it takes to start a ripple effect.

It all began on the Elmore Expressway, when the constant onslaught of rain caused the boxed contents of cargo truck to suddenly come loose and spill out onto the highway. That little mishap caused the semi-trailer traveling behind it to violently swerve and topple over onto its side.

This in turn, lead to several vehicles colliding into the obstructing vehicle, quickly creating a massive pile up within seconds.

Although Nicole had managed to avoid the wreckage, not having merged into the Expressway yet, the strong winds had coincidentally caused a landslide of rubble to fall from the adjacent cliffs, which started to fall over towards the cliffside road underneath. And they were heading straight for the path of the green minivan.

"Nicole…" said Yuki, omitting the respectful honorific for the first time. "I really think you should slow down a little."

"We've almost reached the highway," argued Nicole. "I'll slow down once we get there. My son might be in trouble and I'm not going to let anything-

"- _Yamero_! Stop!" Yuki suddenly screamed, as her arm impulsively shot out in front of her, pointing towards the debris falling into their path. They were going to crash...

…

Three quarters of an hour had passed since Gumball had returned home, yet there was no sign of Nicole. Having finished their supper, the family diligently sat together on the couch, save for Gumball who was hard at work, washing the dishes.

He figured that if he finished a few chores for his mother before she got home, maybe she would be a little less angry with him. Upon washing the very last dish, Gumball placed it in the drainer and joined the others in the living room.

"It's getting late," said Gumball. "I'm starting to worry about Mom..."

"We tried calling her but the phone lines are still down," replied Anais with a shrug.

Darwin said nothing and switched on the news channel, in the hopes that they could learn something new about the situation. Accompanied by a red news ticker reading 'BREAKING NEWS', the anchorman stood ready to speak wearing a very serious expression.

"This is _Mike the mic guy_ bringing you a special news report," he announced. "A major pile up has occurred on the Elmore Expressway. Emergency services are responding as we speak, however strong winds and rampant rain are complicating rescue operations. We take you now live to scene of the accident."

The family's eyes were all glued to the television. It was a horrible sight to behold.

The highway was littered with the wreckage of cars and debris that seemed to go on for miles. Despite the constant rain, fires had broken out and burning strong amongst the destruction. Firefighters and rescue workers were swarming the scene but there was only so much they could do. It was one heck of a pile up...

For a fraction of a second Gumball thought he recognized a certain green car amongst all the commotion before the camera cut away.

"No!" shouted Gumball as he stood up before the TV.

"Gumball, what's wrong?" asked Richard.

"T-T-That looked like Mom's car!" He grabbed his siblings and shook them as he spoke, "Was that Mom's car? Tell me that wasn't Mom's car!"

"Gumball, calm down!" said Anais pushing him off of them.

"We don't know for sure!" Darwin suggested hopefully. "Mrs Mom isn't the only one with a green car."

Darwin's words rang true but Gumball wasn't having it. His mind had already been made up.

Suddenly, he didn't care about how she had yelled at him. It was _his_ fault that she went outside looking for him. He just couldn't live with himself if anything were to happen to her because of him.

Richard had opened his mouth to speak but before he could get a word in, Gumball had leapt into his lap and grabbed him by his shoulders.

"Dad, you have to drive us there to investigate!"

Richard peeled Gumball off of him, setting him down on the couch before speaking.

"Son, you know I can't do that-"

"But Mom could be in trouble!"

"-I promised your mother we'd stay here no matter what," explained Richard. "It's dangerous out there and she'd never forgive me if I let anything happen to you kids. Heck, _I'd_ never forgive me!"

"But what if Mom needs our help!?" Gumball argued. "I don't care if she punishes us, we have to be sure."

"Yeah Mr Dad," agreed Darwin. "She should've been back by now. Something must be wrong…"

Richard darted his eyes back and forth, his loyalty being torn between his orders and his feelings.

"Oh, I don't know what to do!" cried Richard, burying his face in hands. "I'm worried about her too but I promised her we'd stay here..."

"Actually Dad," interrupted Anais. "Mom said we had to stay here in case Gumball came back. Well, now he has. She never said we couldn't go looking for her once Gumball was back home. Therefore, if you drove us out there to look for her, you wouldn't be breaking your promise."

Gumball perked up his ears with hope as Richard thought it over. He made a mental note to thank his little sister later.

"Hmm… well, that does make sense," said Richard. "In that case, kids, put on your raincoats! We're heading out!"

* * *

 **End of Part One**


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

Nicole had to blink a few times just to make sure she wasn't imagining things. They were still alive… for now anyway.

Moments ago, just as Yuki warned her of the landslide, everything seemed to have gone by in a blur. It all came back to her now.

Heading straight for the rubble, Nicole's heart leapt into her throat as she swiftly slammed her foot down on the brake pedal, desperate to make an emergency stop. The brakes loudly screeched as the car tires slid across the slippery road, narrowly grinding to halt in time to avoid the fallen rocks.

However, the duo's troubles were far from over. Another rumbling landslide brought forth a second wave of rubble towards the minivan, forcing it towards the edge of the road. With the safety barriers destroyed by the fallen debris, there was nothing separating the car from a dangerous fall. Nicole hastily thrust the minivan into reverse but it was no use, the car kept going.

Then by some miracle, it stopped… just inches away from the huge drop below, teetering on the edge.

Caked in a nervous sweat and with the colour drained from her face, Nicole breathlessly turned to face her friend to find her in a similar state. Yuki looked as though she had been struck by the thousand yard stare… twice. To say 'they had dodged a bullet' would be an understatement.

"Y-Yuki... a-are you okay?" said Nicole, trembling with nervousness.

"I'm... still breathing…" replied Yuki, slowly directing her eyes towards Nicole without moving her head. "We must be careful, no sudden movements now."

"Right," agreed Nicole. "Maybe… Maybe I could try calling for help. Where's my cell…"

Nicole looked down at her feet in horror to find that during the commotion, her cell phone had fallen onto the car floor. Even if the cell service was back online, trying to reach it without rocking the car forwards would prove to be a deadly gamble.

Swallowing hard and licking her lips, Nicole looked down towards the phone like food sitting before a starved animal. Her hand began to twitch, as if begging her to reach out and snatch it. Yuki must have noticed this too because she immediately placed a restricting arm before her friend.

"Don't even think about it!" sternly warned Yuki. "We are on the very edge. As long as we stay still, we should be fine."

Taking an especially deep breath, Nicole forced herself to calm down, fearful of any rash decisions she would make otherwise.

"W-W-What're we going to do?" asked Nicole, barely maintaining her composure.

"I don't know," replied Yuki. "Maybe we could try jumping out?"

"No no no," Nicole vigorously shook her head. "It's too dangerous. Even if we got the doors open, there's no way we could survive a fall from this height."

The duo nervously thought things over before Yuki came to the obvious conclusion.

"Then we'll just have to wait for someone to come by and rescue us…" There was an awkward pause before Yuki spoke again. "I suppose I should have used the bathroom before I left."

Nicole didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Despite the constant warnings about the weather, never could she have anticipated something like this happening. Right now, she felt more helpless than she had ever been in all her life.

They had to survive at _any_ cost. And if that meant playing the waiting game, well, Nicole always played to win. Even if the odds were against her.

Yuki being the more composed of the two, decided to diffuse the tension, any way she could think of.

"Well, since we're not going anywhere, let's talk to pass the time…" suggested Yuki.

"Oh uh, yeah," agreed Nicole. "Good idea… What do you want to talk about?"

…

Arriving at the Elmore Expressway, the Watterson Cartax found itself stuck in a traffic jam.

Naturally, the pileup had caused the road to be closed by authorities and the cars could only crawl at a snail pace. Sirens could be heard in the distance but they were still a fair bit away.

Gumball was not going to let that stop him. His mother could be out there, needing his help.

"Dad," he commanded, as if _he_ was the parent. "Stay here and keep an eye on the car. Darwin, Anais, you're with me, we can cover more ground that way."

"What!?" gasped Richard. "I can't let you kids out of my sight! Especially not without cell phone access..."

"That's why I brought these," smirked Gumball, digging into his backpack. "And they said I'm too old to play with them…"

Gumball revealed a pair of toy _walkie-talkies_. He handed one to Richard and kept the other to himself.

They might not be as versatile as cell phones, but they also didn't require a cell tower to work, or charge by the minute for making calls.

Getting out of the car, into the howling wind and pouring rain, Gumball quickly gave his little device a test drive, speaking into it.

"Dad, it's me, do you copy? Over."

Gumball was met with radio silence. He let out a groan before speaking again.

"Dad, you have press the button when you speak or I can't hear you. Over."

This time, the device buzzed and his father's voice was soon heard.

" _Oh right, sorry,"_ said Richard. " _Can you hear me now, over?"_

"Loud and clear," replied Gumball, handing the device to his brother. "Darwin, take over."

" _What was that, over?"_ asked Richard.

"Darwin's taking over!" yelled Gumball.

" _Taking what over?"_

"Taking the walkie over, over!" clarified Darwin.

" _Your taking a walk over where, over?"_

The brothers simultaneously groaned while Anais impatiently snatched the device and spoke.

"Never mind Dad, just stay put and if anything comes up we'll call… over." Anais pocketed the device and shook her head. "Glad that's over." She groaned, then shook her head again.

Setting off together, the three siblings ran in between the long lineup of cars, heading closer to the heart of the accident. When they finally arrived, the highway area was swarming with commotion.

Firefighters worked hard to douse the raging flames amongst the wreckages while others were hard at work trying to rescue people trapped inside their damaged vehicles. Police and news reporters were on the scene too, everyone lending a hand in any way they could.

"Any sign of Mom?" said Gumball, looking back and forth.

"It's hard to see anything in this rain…" complained Anais.

"Keep looking."

"Wait, over there!" shouted Darwin. "I see a green car!"

Gumball wasted no time rushing towards it with his siblings in tow. Upon arriving at the overturned vehicle, they found that it was not the car they were looking for. Gumball didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved.

The driver, a purplish cupcake lady weakly tapped on the window, begging for help.

"Come on guys," said Gumball. "We gotta help her."

"Urgh, the door's stuck!" exclaimed Darwin, straining to open it.

"Here, use this." Gumball handed him a crowbar.

"Um, why'd you bring a crowbar with you?" inquired Anais.

"The better question is, why didn't you? If we're going to rescue Mom, we'll need all the help we can get."

"Huh, that _is_ good point," admitted Anais. "Looks like the authorities have their hands full. We should help however we can, while we search for Mom."

Gumball nodded in agreement.

"Uh guys, a lil' help here?" groaned Darwin, struggling to pry the door open.

...

Still teetering on the edge of the cliff, Nicole and Yuki had lost themselves in conversation.

It was so surreal, the fact that they were inches away from falling to their doom and yet, here they were chatting away like good friends would on any other day.

Inevitably, the subject of Nicole's argument with her son circled back into the fray. Yuki was hesitant to discuss something so sensitive at such a delicate time. However, contrary to what Yuki expected, it had actually caused her friend to soften up significantly.

"I didn't mean to hurt his feelings Yuki," said Nicole. "I might have been upset with him but I never stopped caring. Maybe I fuss over him more than I should but that's only because…"

" _Hai dozo…"_ Yuki urged her friend to continue.

"Believe me when I say I love all my children equally and unconditionally. But Gumball was my first. Because of that, I always felt like I had a special bond with him..."

"Really?" replied Yuki with genuine surprise. "How so?"

Nicole closed her eyes with a heavy sigh before speaking, reminiscing on days gone by.

"Gumball made me a mother. He was the reason I settled down with Richard. All my first steps as a mother were with him. I made all my mistakes on him. I tried to give him everything I never had growing up. And whenever things got tough and I didn't know what to do... I'd just hold him close to me and kiss him. And then I was sure everything would be okay."

"Ah, _naruhodo_ …" Nicole gave her friend a confused look and Yuki rephrased herself with a smile. "So I see..."

"When Darwin and Anais came along," she continued. "I was able to enjoy them more because by that time, I knew exactly what I was doing. They're all wonderful children. But Gumball will always be my first and watching him grow up, I feel he teaches me as much as I teach him."

Yuki watched her friend slowly become sullen once more.

"I suppose I deserve this," lamented Nicole. "I'm being punished for the way I yelled at him. I probably went too far. I'm just sorry you ended up getting stuck with me."

"Don't be like that Nicole-san," replied Yuki. "This was all just an unfortunate accident-whoa!"

The winds had started to pick up again and the car began to wobble where it was...

…

Amidst the falling rain, the kids continued to comb the highway in search of their mother. But there was still no sign of her anywhere.

Finding her was Gumball's primary concern, but he still felt inclined to lend a hand to those that needed it, as he passed them by. The more people he helped, the more likely they would help him back. He asked everyone he met if they had seen any sign of Nicole Watterson or her green car.

Though nobody could say they had, it was not long before Gumball had amassed a little group of helpers, composed of several of the people he and his siblings had assisted.

Most of them barely knew each other, but the selfless actions of the Watterson children had united them and they worked together to help others that remained.

It was not long before the authorities took notice of the vigilante movement. The Donut Sheriff's first instinct was to send them home on the grounds of safety. But given the circumstances, he decided to turn a blind eye to the rules and let them carry on.

Gumball regrouped with his two siblings in order to figure out their next move.

"Any luck?" he asked hopefully.

They collectively shook their heads at him. Gumball said nothing in response, clenching his crowbar tightly and looking towards the ground. Frustration was building up inside him and for once he was glad that it was raining because it masked the tears welling up in his eyes.

Before anyone could say any more, a far off cry for help got their attention and they set off towards it.

All of the commotion was centred around perhaps the most devastating wreckage of them all, a bus that had been knocked over onto its side, sandwiched between several other wrecked vehicles.

A group of blocky construction workers were busy trying to dismantle the mess while others provided aid to the injured. What particularly drew attention, was a group of people stood in a large circle around something.

"Prioritize the most severely injured!" ordered the Donut Sheriff, through his megaphone.

"Chief, we're losing him!" someone shouted from the circle.

"Well, don't just stand there son, go get a doctor!"

"Chief, I _am_ the doctor!" retorted the bandage shaped man. "And I don't know anything about fixing robots!"

"Then send for a mechanic!" ordered the Sheriff. "No, a technician! A handyman! Anyone who knows how to fix a robot!"

A robot? They couldn't possibly be talking about…

"Bobert!" exclaimed Darwin, as he and his siblings approached closer. "W-What happened to him!?"

The little robot was in terrible condition. The surface of his metal exterior was tinged with scuffs and dents, not to mention charred black in several places. If that wasn't enough, his robotic glass eye had also suffered a huge crack, which was astounding considering it was made from gorilla glass. Worse still, Bobert's system seemed to have gone offline, leaving his LED faintly blinking with a deathly red glow every few seconds.

"He saved us…" explained one of the civilians. "He helped us all escape from the wreckage. But then it all collapsed on top of him! We managed to pull him out but he just won't wake up..."

"Let me take a look at him," said Anais.

Approaching Bobert's fallen body, she examined him closely. Though Anais was not an expert on robotics, she knew more than enough to assess the situation.

"He's in really bad shape," she noted grimly. "His power cells have been damaged. I estimate he has about five minutes until he shuts down completely."

"What!?" gasped Darwin. "But then that means he'll be… he'll be…"

"Effectively dead." Anais bluntly finished the thought.

"Can't we do something?" said Darwin, desperately looking back and forth.

"He needs to recharge," explained Anais. "We gotta find somewhere to plug him in."

"But where?" cried Darwin. "We're in the middle of a highway! There aren't any electrical outlets for miles!"

"Come on people!" yelled the Donut Sheriff. "We can't just give up on him! Doesn't anyone here have any ideas?"

The civilians looked back at one another to little success. A feeling of unease swept through the atmosphere. Then suddenly, Gumball uncharacteristically stepped forwards looking oddly irritated.

"Step aside," he demanded, ushering his siblings away and beginning to pry open Bobert's chassis with his crowbar.

"Gumball, what're you doing?" asked Darwin.

"Saving his life," said Gumball indifferently. "I have a plan that just might be crazy enough to work. Unless anyone has a better idea?"

"Can't say we do," shrugged Darwin.

"Sounds like a _Gumball_ plan," Anais rolled her eyes. "Hope you know what you're doing."

"Of course I know what I'm doing," replied Gumball. "I just don't know if it'll work. Pass me the Walkie-Talkie."

Darwin did just that and Gumball quickly yanked out the batteries from it. With them in hand, he removed a piece of circuitry from Bobert's interior and put the batteries in place.

"Now all he needs is a little juice…" said Gumball tapping his chin. "Chief, can I get a little help here?"

"You want me to bring you some juice?" said the Donut Sheriff, incredulously. "Kid, do I look like a vending machine-"

"-I need to borrow this," Gumball interrupted, swiping the sheriff's taser gun.

"Hey! What do you think you're-"

 **ZAP!**

A brilliant flash of light, followed by the sharp sounds of buzzing and crackling filled the air as Gumball fired the taser darts directly inside Bobert's core, giving him a supercharge. Bobert violently contorted this way and that, before falling back down to the ground.

Seconds later, his giant bionic eye lit up and he blinked a few times, adjusting himself to his surroundings. Gumball handed the taser back to the sheriff, who was awestruck. Everyone else who was there to witness the event also looked on with amazement.

Even Gumball's siblings, who were more than familiar with their brother's resourceful reputation were left surprised.

"Gumball, you did it! You saved him!" Darwin exclaimed with joy.

"How'd you know that would work?" grinned Anais.

"I didn't," shrugged Gumball. "I saw something like it in a movie once…"

"Well kiddo, that was sharp thinking," complimented the Donut Sheriff. "Looks like you're a real hero!"

Bobert sluggishly walked over to Gumball, gratefully shaking his hand.

"Thank you Gumball, this unit is grateful. Had you not been present, probability of permanent shutdown was at ninety-nine percent. I am much obliged."

Bobert's chassis opened up to spit out a little burst of colourful confetti, as everyone standing by cheered and gave Gumball a round of applause.

Gumball said nothing in response, hanging his head low in shame. Darwin placed a hand on his shoulder with concern.

"What's wrong dude? Didn't you hear them? You're a hero!"

"No, I'm not…" Gumball shook his head. "Mom's still out there somewhere because of me. It's all my fault..."

"We'll find her Gumball," said Darwin, patting him on the back. "I promise, we will. Don't give up hope."

Gumball's mournful expression did not waver until Anais came over waving her phone in the air.

"Guys, I've got bars on my cell phone again! We can call Mom now!"

…

Nicole and Yuki had been fortunate that the last gust of wind had not been strong enough to tip them over. But just how long would their luck last?

With nothing better to do, still being stuck where they were, the duo shrugged the matter off and got back to talking as if nothing happened. Yuki smiled humorlessly as she spoke.

"You know, my husband and I, we… we never really thought about having more kids, after we had Masami. Despite that… I was never as close to her as you are with your son. But perhaps that is my fault. I promise, if we make it out of this, I will spend more time with Masami."

Nicole nodded in approval before letting out a dejected sigh.

"Everything we argued about," muttered Nicole. "It seems so ridiculous now. I wish I could take the whole thing back..."

"We cannot change the past Nicole-san," said Yuki. "We can only learn from it. If we do not, we end up paying twice."

"You're probably right…"

The sudden sound of the cell phone ringing, immediately got both women to freeze in place. At a snail pace, they simultaneously lowered their eyes towards the phone lying on the floor. If someone was calling them, that meant the phone lines were working again.

If they retrieved the phone, they could call for help. But was it worth the risk? One false move and the car would tip over faster than they could say 'speed-dial'.

"If I could just get it under my paw," said Nicole straining to reach for the phone.

The car wobbled a bit and she instantly backed off, freezing still until the car stopped moving.

"Nope nope nope!" said Nicole, nervously smiling as beads of sweat raced down her forehead. " _Wait to be rescued,_ it is!"

"That was a close call…" Yuki morbidly noted, wearing a similar expression.

…

Even though the cell service had finally returned, the phone still yielded no answer from Nicole, much to the dismay of her children. They were really starting to get worried now…

The Donut Sheriff had gone off with a couple of cadets to help with the search but the still drizzling rain was not helping one bit.

"Her phone's ringing but she's not picking up," said Darwin. "Something is definitely wrong."

"Gosh darn it!" cursed Gumball, shaking his head in disbelief. "We have to find her, right now! Anais, is there anyway we can trace the location of her phone or something?"

"Maybe…" shrugged Anais. "But not without the proper tools. I don't suppose anyone brought a laptop with Internet access?"

Gumball became despondent again until Bobert walked up towards the trio. Though he was not very good at articulating, he was most grateful for Gumball saving his life. As such, he had been eavesdropping on their conversation the whole time and finally decided to step in.

"Please, as gratitude, allow me to offer my unconditional assistance in locating the whereabouts of your maternal unit."

They blinked a few times before putting together the meaning of Bobert's elaborate speech.

"Bobert, are you saying you can help us find our mom?" asked Gumball hopefully.

"Affirmative," he nodded. "My highly advanced processing system is equipped with GPS tracking software and much more. Currently, I am triangulating the location of your mother's phone."

Spinning his head around a few times, Bobert whirred and clicked like a fax machine before his LEDs lit up with a positive green glow. Triumphantly he announced in his monotone voice:

"Location confirmed."

The three siblings immediately perked up when they heard those words and Gumball instantly began hounding him with questions.

"Have you found her!? Do you know where she is!? Is it close by!? Can you show us the way!?"

Bobert calmly responded.

"In order: Yes, yes, yes and I can do better than that. I can _take_ you there. Activating Rocket Mode..."

Taking a few steps back, Bobert underwent a complete robotic transformation, as his limbs withdrew back into his body and his structure rearranged itself from vertical to horizontal. His arms and legs modelled themselves to resemble the handles and pedals of a bike but rather than using wheels, he hovered above the ground using his jet boosters.

In other words, Bobert had transformed himself into what could only be described as a cross between a hovercraft and a motorcycle.

"Whoa, since when could you turn into… whatever this is?" asked Gumball.

"Rocket Mode was a new BS feature included in the last update," explained Bobert.

"BS?" repeated Darwin.

"Bobert System," Anais clarified.

"Ohhh…" he nodded. "I thought he meant-"

"-There's no time to waste!" Gumball cut him off, taking up the only seat Bobert had. "We have to find mom. Ride like the wind Bobert!"

"Error. Failed to understand directive," Bobert droned, causing Gumball to groan.

"I meant, let's get going. As fast you can, right now-whoaaaa!"

Before Gumball could even finish his sentence, Bobert had already blasted off at full speed, zooming off into the distance as Anais and Darwin were awkwardly left standing right where they were.

"Okay, catch up with you later!" Anais sarcastically called after him.

Bobert was moving so fast, Gumball could barely hold onto him but he had no intention of telling the little robot to slow down. Now that he knew where his mother was, he would not stop until he found her, safe and sound. Just when Gumball got the hang of things, Bobert urgently spoke up.

"Warning," he droned. "Gumball, sensors indicate that your mother and another passenger are stuck in a vehicle, currently about to tip over the edge of a cliff."

"What!?" gasped Gumball. "We gotta do something!"

…

Nicole and Yuki's time was almost up.

Though the minivan had remained stationary for some time now, the constant downpour of rain from the storm had slowly eroded the ground beneath them. The cliff would not hold them for much longer...

"We can't give up!" panicked Nicole. "There has to be another way out!"

"Jumping out is still too risky," said Yuki, on the verge of tears. "If the car goes down, our best bet is to stay still and hope we survive…"

"So this is it then?" Nicole whimpered. "Is this really how it all ends?"

Yuki said nothing, silently letting her tears flow down her cheeks.

"Well, if this is really the end," said Nicole solemnly. "Yuki, I just want you to know…"

"I know, I know! I love you too!" cried Yuki. "You're like the sister I never had!"

"Um, actually..." Nicole paused. "I was going to apologize for getting you into this mess…"

"Oh…" Yuki abruptly stopped crying. "This is awkward..."

"But also," added Nicole. "I want you to know, I'm proud to call you my friend. It's been an honor. I just wanted you to know that..."

Yuki said nothing, woefully smiling back at her friend and Nicole did the same.

The last straw had been drawn.

Suddenly, the rocky cliff finally fell apart, started crumbling away. Inch by inch, the car began to slowly tip over and towards the long drop below.

Impulsively out of fear, Nicole and Yuki wrapped arms around each other, preparing themselves for the colder embrace of their imminent demise. Only a miracle could save them now.

In what she assumed to be her final moments, Nicole's heart skipped a beat and her mouth went dry. She wrenched her eyes shut and thought of her family one last time, as she heard her son's voice ring through her head.

"Hang on, Mom!" he called out to her.

His muffled words rang through her head, as if he was right beside her. With a little whine, she clung tighter to Yuki with tears streaming down her cheeks. And then…

Astonishingly, the rumbling of the car was sharply drawn to a halt and the car remained still. Was it over? Had she finally kicked the bucket?

"Mom, it's okay! I'm here now!"

It couldn't be…

Opening her eyes, slowly and breathlessly, Nicole was greeted by, in her opinion, the most wonderful sight in the world. It was her son, Gumball! He was staring right back at her!

He was alive! Or were they both dead?

Nicole looked around to find herself still in the car, inches away from soiling herself. That's how she knew she was still alive. But what was Gumball doing outside her windshield? And why was he upside down for that matter?

Her head was filled with a mess of questions, but all she managed to say was, "G-G-Gumball, is that r-r-really you!?"

Gumball merely nodded at her with a relieved smile. Filled with relief, Nicole shook her still shaking friend awake.

"Yuki, we're still alive!"

"Are we!?" Yuki opened her eyes. "I mean, we are!? What's going on? Is that your son, I see?"

"Don't worry!" said Gumball. "We'll have you outta there in no time! Bobert, take us to safety!"

Before anyone could say another word, Gumball resumed his seat on Bobert, who was situated on top of the car, securely holding it in place using his built-in electromagnet and herculean robotic strength.

Miraculously, Gumball had arrived just in the nick of time, spotting the car as it was seconds away from falling over the edge. Had he been just a few minutes late, it would have been all over.

Under Gumball's direction, Bobert effortlessly carried the minivan away from the cliff and flew back to the highway, as the passengers within felt their hearts racing a mile a minute. They collectively breathed a _very_ heavy sigh of relief and looked on with amazement.

The rain was finally beginning to slow down and storm had begun to pass...

…

With most of the wreckage having been dealt with and the downpour of rain slowly fading, the cars had finally begun to move again on the Expressway. At last, Richard was able to regroup with Darwin and Anais. They all stood outside the car, as the kids explained to their father everything that had happened.

"Oh, I hope they're okay. Are you sure Gumball's in good hands?" asked Richard.

"Of course," said Darwin. "Well, good _claws_ since we're talking about Bobert, but yeah."

"I guess we better go look for them," supposed Richard.

"Um, I don't think we'll need to," said Anais. "Look up there!"

The three of them turned their heads skywards to see what looked like a green car descending through the sky and landing on the expressway up ahead. That was unmistakably Nicole's minivan; Gumball must've found her! Not wasting any time, the trio ran off towards to greet them.

"Mission accomplished," said Bobert, gently making touchdown with the car.

Having returned Gumball's favour, Bobert contently returned to his normal state. Exerting so much energy, so quickly, rendered him in urgent need of a moment of rest.

"Now entering sleep mode," said Bobert, lying down right where was. "Goodnight."

And just like that, as if someone had thrown a switch, Bobert was out like a light. His lights went dim and his processor gently hummed as he comfortably fell asleep.

With an appreciative smile, Gumball gently patted him and whispered "Thanks buddy."

Gumball then turned his attention to the minivan, as its occupants slowly staggered out. They could barely walk, their legs feeling very unsturdy and their appearance looking worn out and disheveled as they could possibly be. But they were alive and that was good enough for them.

Caught in a daze, Yuki absentmindedly took a few steps forward and haphazardly patted Gumball on the head before collapsing. The ground was still wet from the rain but she could not have been happier to feel solid ground beneath her again.

" _Yokatta_ ," Yuki wearily smiled. "I never thought I'd be so happy to fall to the floor. _Domo arigato_ , _Gumball-kun_."

"Um, you're... welcome?" said Gumball, not entirely understanding what she just said.

As Yuki enjoyed her regained freedom, Gumball finally came face to face with his mother. Nicole looked as though she had just stepped out of a war zone. But seeing her son, standing safe and sound before her, brought her to tears of joy.

At long last, mother and son were reunited again.

In that short moment, the sights and sounds of the very world around them seemed to ebb away, as their eyes became fixated on nothing but each other. Wordlessly, they approached each other, subconsciously taking short little steps before quickly breaking into a sprint.

"Mom!" Gumball called out to her, arms outstretched and filled with elation.

Upon finally reaching each other, they spun around as they caught themselves in the tightest of embraces. Nicole securely wrapped her arms around her son, sweeping him off his feet, cherishing his touch like it was the most valuable thing in the world.

Gumball felt exactly the same towards her, pressing his head firmly against his mother's chest. Only now, did he allow himself to cry, not caring if anyone saw him. All those feelings of anger, worry, guilt and sorrow… suddenly they all melted away, the moment Gumball entered his mother's loving embrace.

"Gumball!" Nicole joyfully cried his name, collapsing to her knees. "Oh my dear boy, thank goodness you're safe…"

They hugged each other for what felt like ages. That's exactly how long it felt since they last saw each other. They had both acted foolishly and it had nearly cost them something important. They realized that now.

Whatever reasons they had to be upset with each other, were long since forgotten. All that mattered was that they were safe and together again.

With her tear laden eyes firmly shut, Nicole tenderly spoke to her son.

"You saved us..."

Without loosening her hold on him, Nicole gratefully but gently, kissed him on the head, making him softly purr with joy as he held himself against her, tight as he could.

"M-Mom?" began Gumball, shyly looking up at her.

"Gumball, I…"

"I'm sorry, okay!?" he suddenly bawled into her chest. "I'm sorry about everything! I never meant for any of this to happen. And I just want you to know, I'm sorry!"

Nicole slowly faced her son as she wiped the tears from his eyes. Placing her hands on his shoulders she spoke again.

"Oh Gumball, I know you were upset with me. But you can't run out on your own like that. It's dangerous-"

"-I know, I know, I feel terrible about it," he interrupted, shaking his head. "I never thought you'd go looking all over town for me. I was scared I'd never see you again. Please forgive me?"

"Apology accepted, Gumball," replied Nicole. "But what I wanted to say was, _I'm_ sorry too."

"Y-You are?" said Gumball, a little surprised. "Thank you. But why?"

"I should've been more sensitive," she admitted. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I care about you more than you think. Sometimes I care too much and the only way I can show it is by getting angry. And it took me getting stuck in the middle of a storm to realize what's really important. And that's _you_ Gumball. You're my son and I love you."

"I love you too, Mom," Gumball smiled back at her, holding his mother tight again.

They remained like that for a while, wordlessly content in each other's arms.

Not long after, the other members of the family caught up with them and at long last, the Wattersons were finally reunited.

The cloudy sky overhead slowly faded away as the rays of sunset cast their light across the landscape as the family prepared to head home.

Life was much like the weather. Big storms can sometimes sweep through and stir things up. But by sticking together and staying strong, there will always be brighter days ahead.

 **The End**

* * *

 **Author's Notes: I thought I'd try my hand at writing something more light-hearted than my usual fare but still focusing on my two favourite TAWOG characters.**

 **I wanna give a huge thank you to "Call Me Writefag" for helping me with editing as usual. Thanks!**


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